Neighbors at a Fair Oaks apartment complex near the home said they could not ignore the squealing.

"We heard horrendous screaming and squealing from pigs," said neighbor Trust Palmer. "(It died) from a hammer hit to the head."

Christopher Roppelt, 31, was arrested Thursday night and charged with felony cruelty to animals, according to deputies.

"There was a very large hog and it was suffering. It looks like at first he tried to bludgeon it with some kind of blunt force. When that was unsuccessful, he took some type of weapon and slit the pig's throat," said Jason Ramos of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Animal control officers and sheriff's deputies put the hog out of its misery.

"We made the decision to end the life of the hog that much quicker with a fatal gun shot," Ramos said.

On Sunday, deputies went back to the home to tell residents to remove the carcass and remaining pigs from the property.

Sheriff's officials tell KCRA 3 the area isn't zoned for livestock.

A woman who lives at the home said the incident wasn't inhumane.

"We just didn't know how to kill the pig, that's all it was," she said.

Neighbors, however, said there is no excuse.

"I don't care if you kill pigs, but do it the right way," said Palmer.

Residents who live at the home where the pig was killed said they are in the process of removing the other hogs from their back yard.